Thursday at the Leaky Cauldron
by TheWarriorQueen
Summary: Sometimes a chance meeting is actually a second chance. And when that chance meeting is repeated every week... Dramione oneshot. Abusive!Ron. Reformed!Draco. Written for nik-edward is my love. Complete.


**Sometimes a chance meeting is actually a second chance. And when that chance meeting is repeated every week... Dramione oneshot. Abusive!Ron. Reformed!Draco. Written for nik-edward is my love.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Not that I am anti-canon, but I found the Romione hard to swallow at first glance. If I owned Harry Potter, I would have included scenes before the epilogue, showing how Ron matured. I don't deny that he likely would have matured, but JKR didn't quite show us enough of that, and suddenly jumped 19 years ahead. Well, a lot can happen in 19 years, and this is one of the things that didn't happen, but could have.**

* * *

"Granger."

"Malfoy. And it's Weasley now."

~shudder~

* * *

"Gran- Weasley."

"Malfoy."

"I'm surprised to see you away from the Ministry this early on a Thursday morning."

"You and me both. Ron convinced me to quit. Better for the baby."

"He what? G- Weasley, that's mad."

"Back off, Malfoy."

* * *

"Weasley."

"Malfoy." ~sniff~

"What's wrong?"

"Wh- You, Draco Malfoy, are asking me, Hermione Weasley, what's wrong?"

"Well, you are crying. In the middle of Diagon Alley, no less."

"I know I'm crying. And this is not the middle of Diagon Alley; it is the corner table in the Leaky Cauldron."

"Ah well, semantics. To change the subject, as that one was obviously bad, I hear your Equality Bill has finally gone through."

"Let me get this straight. You, Draco Malfoy, are changing a subject to protect my, Hermione Weasley's, feelings? What are you playing at?"

"Well, yes. But obviously your 'equality' doesn't spread to second chances. Goodbye."

* * *

"Malfoy!"

"Weasley?"

"I'm sorry I was sceptical last time we spoke. Would you come sit at my table today?"

"Can I take a rain-check? I have a business meeting here in fifteen minutes."

"Take a rain check? I didn't know you knew such Muggle terms…"

"I'm a different Draco Malfoy to the pureblood prat you went to school with, Weasley."

"I'm starting to see that. You can call me Hermione."

"Thank you, Hermione. You can call me Draco."

"Draco… Interesting way of naming children."

"What is?"

"Constellation related names are a hallmark of the Black family and various relatives."

"Ah. Do Shakespearian names run in your family, then? Hermione, yes, I know of Shakespeare. He was actually a Squib, and- oh, Merlin, there are my clients. I look forward to continuing this conversation some other time."

* * *

"Hello, Hermione.

"Hello, Draco. How was your meeting last week?" ~sniff~

"It went well. I secured the merger I wanted. What's wrong?"

"Ron."

"Ah, say no more. Trouble in paradise? I have a whole hour to myself at the moment, so if you wish for a… confidante, I can offer my services."

"I really don't know. Oh, it can't do that much harm, can it? Thank you, Draco."

"Hey, I'm a Slytherin. People's woes are very useful at times."

~strangled sob~

"Merlin, Hermione, I'm sorry! That was insensitive of me. I didn't mean to make you cry even worse! I don't mean that I plan to use your miseries against-"

"Draco, I'm okay. That was me laughing. It just got caught on a sob on the way out. I know you were only joking."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad I could make you laugh."

"Yes… Lately, Ron has been worse than ever. He seems to think he owns me. Keeps railing on about how I keep showing him up in front of his 'mates'. Like he even needs help to make him look a fool! He's actually getting more and more like you were at school. His most recent thread is about how I'm not behaving in a proper way for the wife of a man in the public eye. He seems to think that he is the only war hero in our household."

"Did I not once hear tell that you told him he had the emotional range of a teaspoon?"

~snort~ "Yes, you probably did. It really is true. Oh dear, look at the time! Ron wants me home in time to cook supper! I must go, thank you for listening, Draco. Goodbye."

"Not a problem, Hermione. Goodbye."

* * *

"Hi, Draco!"

"Good morning, Hermione! What has you so cheerful today?"

"Hugo showed his first burst of accidental magic; what a major relief, he's already seven…"

"Surely you wouldn't mind having a Squib son?"

"No, but Ron would. He's taken to drinking and mood-swings, and he seems to think I've somehow weakened the raw magical power in the bloodline. You see, Rose is more a thinker, and her bursts of magic are precise and controlled, so Ron seems to think she's all head knowledge only. And then Hugo showing so little sign of magic; well, it had Ron worried."

"You were right, Hermione. The Weasel sounds a lot more like me than him, if that makes sense."

"Sadly, yes. Normally I'd tell you not to call him Weasel, but he deserves it. When you acted like that, we called you Ferret. So, how is your life going?"

"As all the papers were screaming, Astoria and I split, leaving me with Scorpius and Cassiopeia and her in Azkaban. Would you believe she was dosing me with Amortentia?"

"No! I thought that was Skeeter sensationalizing things again!"

"I wish. No, my darling wife was keeping me under the influence, as it were."

"Ha damn ha. That is just terrible! Can I help at all?"

"Thank you for rising to my support, but I'm handling fine. Oh, wait, except for one thing. What would you suggest for Scorpius' migraines? I know of no child-safe potions, the staff at St. Mungo's is simply discourteous to me, and I just remembered that you are a qualified Mediwitch."

"That would depend on what the migraine is being caused by. I'll be collecting some books at Flourish and Blotts tomorrow at noon. Bring him, and I'll do a quick evaluation.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me."

"Oh, believe me, I do…"

"Well, that was a lovely cup of tea. Thank you for your company. I'll bring Scorp by tomorrow."

"You're welcome. I probably better go as well; I shouldn't be late to pick the children up from school."

"Until tomorrow then."

* * *

"Hello, Hermi- tell me honestly, is that a glamour I'm detecting?"

"Hi, Draco…" ~chewing lip~ "Yes, I am wearing a glamour."

"Why would you be wearing a glamour?"

"…"

"Finite!" ~angry hiss~

"He didn't mean to! He wasn't thinking straight…"

"The Weasel hit you?

"I don't suppose you'll believe 'I fell'?"

"Not a chance. This is _bad_, very bad! Has it happened before?"

"N-no?"

"Dammit, Hermione, I can tell you're lying. You have got to stop him. Confront him, if he doesn't stop, hell, go to Potter, he'll take care of one of his best friends!"

"I don't want to risk losing him!"

"He's not worth KEEPING!"

"Not for me, for Rosie and Hugo… They adore their father. They _need_ him, Draco."

"Hermione, listen, and listen well. You are an intelligent woman, so think rationally about what I am about to say. Smartest witch of our age, so prove it. When I caught Astoria spiking my coffee with illegal love-potions, I confronted her. When she tried to Obliviate me, I could have let her, and kept on living a lie. After all, for all her flaws, she was a good mother to Scorp and Cassie. They loved her wholeheartedly, but I _chose_ to look after myself as well. I won't lie to you; life's been hell since she was arrested. But I went to the Aurors immediately after I realized she wasn't going to stop. You should know this, Potter handled the case. Surely he told you?"

"N-no. I haven't seen him since Christmas Day at the Burrow. Ron gets paranoid if I visit Harry alone, and he never has time to take me there himself. He'd be livid if he found out that I meet you every Thursday."

"That is ABSURD! You're just going to let him cut you off from everyone but him? And don't give me that 'it's for the children' dung, what kind of mother will you make if you're not doing well as an individual?"

"I suppose you have a point. I-I can't make any promises, but I will think about what you've said."

"You better do so. I'll be here next Thursday as usual. If he hits you again and you do nothing, I _will_ do something. I learned some fascinating-yet-legal hexes during my foray into the Dark Arts, you know."

"Thanks, Draco. I may just hold you to that. It's really nice to be cared for, you know."

"Please do. Thursday then."

* * *

"Draco!" ~wild sobs~

"Shh… What happened, Hermione?"

"He… said… I was... just… a dumb… Mudblood… bitch… And that I'm trying to steal the children from him!" ~wail~

"Shh… That is inexcusable. Have you been to see Potter?"

"Yes, he Flooed over to visit this morning. Ron came home whilst Harry was in the loo, and spotted his shoes by the couch. He thought Harry had gone home already, and flipped out. That was when he called me… that, and started hitting me again. Harry came back and Stunned him, saying 'You will never touch Hermione again'. He told me to get out; he didn't want me to see him grilling Ron. He threw me a bag of Galleons, told me to go on a long, long shopping trip, and to go to his and Ginny's place afterwards. He then Flooed Ginny and asked her to collect Rose and Hugo from school when she collected Albus and Lily. So, here I am."

"I'm glad Potter is doing the right thing for you. What do you intend to buy?"

"I can see you expect me to say 'books of course'. Well, I'm not. I'm going to buy all the clothes Ron wouldn't let me because they 'made other men look at his wife'. And then I'm going to buy myself a triple-chocolate fudge brownie sundae with caramel sauce and pecan nuts at Fortescue's."

"Hmm… Are you up for a truly Slytherin revenge?"

"That depends. But yes, I think I am. What do you suggest?"

"Who does the Weasel hate the most?"

"You. Why?"

"Well, I could go with you, help you pick out the clothing. I think teal would be quite a good colour for you, but he probably never let you even try because it was too close to being green. And just think. He wouldn't let you buy the clothes you wanted because of other men admiring you. Now, the man he'd least like to have admiring you would be getting to admire you in many, many different outfits."

"You'd really spend the day helping me clothes shop? I thought men _hated_ clothes shopping!"

"Not all men, darling, not all men. I was always the best dressed student at school for a reason… Of course, it'd be great to be included in the ice-cream part of the day as well."

"Oh, why not! Come on, I'll pay for the tea and we can go. Where should we start? I haven't been clothes shopping in a while."

"Madam Malkin's for the basic tailored robes. Then I think we'll Apparate to Hogsmeade if that's alright with you. They have a new shop with a fusion of Muggle and Wizarding fashion styles, and their summer colour palette is exquisite."

"That sounds wonderful. You know, you never struck me as someone who actually has an interest in fashion for fashion's sake. I thought all those fancy robes were you showing off your wealth."

"Partly, yes. But I came to appreciate the difference between good tailoring and superb tailoring, and the importance of wearing the right colours for your complexion."

"I see. You, Draco Malfoy, are full of surprises. You've even stopped me crying, when I felt earlier as though my world was falling apart."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You do that."

"Shall we?"

"Yes, let's. To Madam Malkin's?"

"Absolutely…"

* * *

"Hello, love."

"Why, fancy meeting you here. You'd almost swear we Flooed in right after each other!"

"Maybe that's because we did."

"That could have something to do with it, yes. Are you sure you're okay with leaving Scorp and Cassie with George?"

"Please, don't remind me. Cassie is already such a prankster. It was nice of him to offer, though. The Weasleys have certainly stood by you, throughout the divorce."

"They have, yes. This morning wasn't as bad as you expected, was it?"

"No, they seem to have taken our engagement rather well. I only had to endure one hex from the Weaselette…"

"That was purely for calling her Weaselette to her face, not for putting a shiny ring on my finger, and you know it."

"I do indeed. Speaking of nicknames, Hermione, do you remember how Victor Krum was murdering your name, the night of the Yule Ball?"

"Yes…"

"Well, I know you didn't like it much, but I would like to use the one."

"Which one?"

"Her-my-own. You are my own. I love you, you know that? And I will never, never, never treat you badly. Not one hex, not one blow. I promise."

"That's so sweet. But then, I get to call you Dragon."

"Why Dragon?"

"It's what Draco means, and you're my guardian dragon like they have at Gringotts."

"For a moment there I thought you were about to say guardian angel, and I was about to say no way!"

"I know, I know, you think you've still got to atone for your past, and so you don't see yourself as an angel. But I can honestly say that if you hadn't come along, I'd still be stuck in my abusive marriage to Ron. You saved me."

"I suppose… Then again, it seems to only be me who doesn't see me as one of the good guys now. I'm even on a first name basis with Harry!"

"That came as quite the shock to the rest of us, I'll have you know."

"Always ready to oblige."

"Hmm…"

"The house will be empty next year, what with Cassie and Hugo going to Hogwarts too. This year it'll just be Scorp and Rose's first year, but I'm already worried."

"Don't worry. You and I will be there. And we're going to make quite enough noise to make up for them being gone. You know, creaking bedsprings, late night escapades in the kitchen…"

"Her-my-own, you are altogether such a naughty minx, it should be illegal. What an ingenious idea!"

"I aim to please, Dragon."

"To think, this all started with running into each other here, four years ago, on a Thursday…"

* * *

**~singing~ Puff the Magic Dragon lives by the sea... ~stops~ Oh, hello! Just singing the theme-song for Malfoy: The Musical.**

**Reviews are always welcomed.**

**TheWarriorQueen**


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